


Quarantine

by Aliawrites



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: COVID-19, Gen, Quarantine, the guys as family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aliawrites/pseuds/Aliawrites
Summary: This is the COVID-19 quarantine fic you know you wanted. The guys are immune compromised still and Icepick as well and in my mind Robin loves these guys as family and won't hear of them being at risk so convinces (bribes/cons/arm-twists) them all to stay together on the compound.These are the stories of how that works out.
Relationships: The guys as family - Relationship, The guys as friends
Comments: 56
Kudos: 100





	1. The setup

“You’d be doing me a favour,” Robin urged. “You have staff who can handle the take out orders and you can keep in touch from the house.”

“Yeah, man, but you know I can’t ask them to risk what I’m not willing to. And even though I really appreciate how much you’ve already helped, I’m not taking anything else and margins are tight man, even without the mortgage to worry about for a few months.” Rick was sitting at one of the booths in his now empty bar going over the books trying to make them add up without customers. He'd answered Robin's call unsure if he was going to thank him or curse him out only to have the wealthy author brush off both to try to cajole him into moving out to the estate to ride out the pandemic.

“You’re immune compromised Rick, it’s not the same you’re so much more at risk and you know it.” To forestall any further resistance, Robin decided to pull out the big guns (figuratively of course) and try for some guilt by making it about someone else. 

“I’ve almost got Thomas convinced to stay at the house with some security work so he won’t be out doing cases. You know he’s even more at risk than you and TC. If you guys were there with him it might help get him to really stay there.” Sensing Rick’s hesitation for the first time in the conversation he went in for the guilt coup-de-grace, “I’ve sent all the staff home with pay. I just don’t want him alone out there, you know how he gets when he’s feeling isolated… I mean Juliet is there at the main house, but she’s not…”

“Goddamn it,” Rick mumbled. “You’re guilting me? Playing the Thomas card?” he accused.

“Yes I am,” Robin replied without shame. “Though you know I’m right - that’s why it works”

“Goddamn it,” Rick repeated, knowing Robin had won. “I’ve still got Icepick staying with me though, I can’t just leave him - he’s even more compromised than we are right now.”

“I know, I thought of that,” Robin began, “The main house has 8 guest bedrooms and 5 of those have ensuites. Juliet has her room on the main floor with her own ensuite so that means each of you can have your own room with ensuite with one to spare even. You keep your distance even from each other until you’re sure you’re past being potentially an asymptomatic carrier. The living spaces are plenty big enough for all of you to hang out and have enough space. I’m having food delivered every day anyway so if you don’t go then Juliet and Thomas are going to get pretty heavy by the end of this.

“Think of it as you’re doing it to help protect Icepick and Thomas,” Robin added gently when Rick let out a sigh.

“Alright, alright,” he acquiesced. “I’ll talk to Icepick, if he’ll go I’ll go.”

“Great!” Robin said happily. “It’s all set then! I’ll confirm with Juliet to have the rooms ready tonight”

“Wait, hold on a minute,” Rick said. “No, I said I have to talk to Icepick first…”

“Oh, don't worry, I already spoke with him and he’s on board.”

“Son of a b…” Rick began, realizing he’d been conned. “You already convinced Icepick before you even called me?”

“Well, yeah, I needed him onside because I figured if I couldn’t convince you he could.”

“You’re a devious lying old goat, you know that right?”

“How do you think I’ve gotten as far as I have?” Robin said with a laugh. “Oh, by the way, TC is meeting you there as well.”

“You con him into agreeing as well?” 

“I merely presented him with my very well reasoned arguments and he saw my point and agreed”

“Seriously?” Rick demanded.

“Yes, — and maybe I bought out his charter appointments for the next little while and pointed out I wasn’t going to cancel or show up so he may as well not fly me around from the house.”

“Jesus, Robin,” Rick said, eyebrows raising. That was a lot of money… a similar amount as what he’d spent paying Rick’s mortgage ahead for a few months. “You do too much you know?” he said, referencing both.

“Rick, I’ll tell you what I’ve told Thomas so many times and TC this morning - I was well off before the books, after the books I’ve got a really very obscene amount of money coming in. I have the books because of you guys and am only alive to benefit from this obscene amount of money because you guys kept me alive.”

“You don’t owe us anything,” Rick said with a resigned sigh.

“I do, but even if I didn’t that makes it even better because I want to.” Robin said, allowing his sincerity to be heard in his voice.

“Enough of that though,” he went on with a chuckle. “Get your shit together, talk to your staff and make sure they have enough people because they’re delivering your food every day.”

“What?” Rick demanded

“You think I’m trusting the food for my family to come from just anyone?” Robin said, guilelessly. “With Kumu out at her niece’s helping with her kids, you guys will be responsible for keeping up her vegetable garden on the estate so that’ll keep you in fresh veggies and give you something to do because you don’t want to get on Kumu’s bad side if you let her garden get all overgrown with weeds.”

“You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?” Rick said with a chuckle, shaking his head fondly. “Alright, alright, you win.”

“I always do, now get a move on, dinner’s already been ordered and will be there for you all at 6:00.

“Listen,” Robin went on more seriously after a brief chuckle. “Take care of each other. When this thing gets some healthy people it… It’s not a good way to go. I’m not ready to lose any of…” He broke off, clearing his throat.

“Plus, I know you all have more stories I can write about so you can work on which ones to tell me next as well!” 

Rick laughed, allowing him the “macho” escape from the emotional admission of worrying about them. “Thanks Robin,” he said sincerely.

Seeing the text come up from TC to say he’d pick them up at Rick’s at 5:00 he sent a quick agreement back.

“Alright Robin, TC’s going to pick us up and we’re all going.”

“Good,”Robin said, sounding for all the world like he was just confirming his order was right.

“Hey Rob, have you ever heard of ‘Zoom’?” Rick asked as he stood up, gathering his files. “‘Cause you better call in if you’re keeping us all there.”


	2. Icepick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit different. All Icepick's POV of our boys in quarantine - heavy of course on HIS boy, Rick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments bring me joy and fuel <3

He’d given in and agreed to stay with the kid when he looked so hopeful after picking him up from prison. He was the one and only person in the whole world that always turned him soft. Oh, he’d employed tough love on the kid plenty when he was younger and even once more recently when he was a dumbass and got involved in a card game with Pascale. But even then, if the kid hadn’t found a way to work it out on his own, he’d have stepped in behind the scenes to at least make sure the kid didn’t get killed or hurt bad.

Staying with the kid had worked out better than he’d expected, in part because Rick was working so much getting his bar up and running so they weren’t tripping over each other. Not to mention running around with his buddies getting into all sorts of mischief - but it kept him from getting into real trouble so he was glad. There was a time when the kid was young that he was worried and had forcibly kept him from joining his line of work. 

Kid had an aversion to authority like no one he’d ever met - and he was a criminal so snubbing authority was kind of his bread and butter. But Rick, he’d fought every authority figure of any level seemingly just for the sake of it. As a teen, Icepick had been about the only one who could reign Rick in and that had been hard won.

Pushing him to join the military had been a hail Mary, he figured it would either make or break the boy. No avoiding authority there. He’d either figure out when to bend and when to fight or he’d get booted out and then he didn’t know what he’d do with him. He loved he idiot though, so he’d really hoped he’d make it there.

It’d been a close thing in the end if messages he’d received from the boy while he was in were anything to go by. Railing against any person above him calling him on anything. Complaining about everyone ‘ordering him around’ and ‘just trying to find something to write up’, and any discipline was just whoever was commanding him being a dick.

Rick had even half bragged, half confided that if it weren’t for how good a shot he was, he probably would have been booted out he’d had so many NJPs. At one point Icepick figured it would only be a matter of time before no single skill would be enough for the Marines to keep putting up with the kid’s attitude and he’d told him as much.

Then he was assigned as a door gunner in a chopper and met an officer he actually liked. He wasn’t his direct report, but he was in charge when they were flying and Rick decided he LOVED flying so finally put in just enough effort not to get booted out. Oh, his smart mouth still got him in trouble plenty, but he wasn’t getting into fights as much or outright disobeying orders or being glaringly insubordinate and he’d settled in, at least a bit. 

Aside from complaining that his CO was just out to get him and that’s why he wouldn’t approve him for sniper school, those were the calmest months he’d yet had since joining - and finally went long enough without serious trouble to get a promotion.

Icepick knew that it was during this time that he’d met Magnum and Nuzo. Rick had told him that TC had been one of the helo pilots assigned for a mission that Thomas was in charge of and where TC and his chopper went, so went his door gunners of which Rick was one.

A couple of months later and somehow, Rick was assigned as part of Magnum’s team and TC was their assigned EXFIL. It was at this time that Icepick finally had hope in spite of how worried he was about the kid, knowing he was part of a combat team that was frequently on dangerous operations. He finally was growing up and taking what he was doing seriously and accepting accountability. Icepick had just about fainted and did let out a laugh during a video call when he heard from the kid that he’d gotten another NJP about a month after being assigned to Magnum, but shrugging and sheepish he’d confided that he’d deserved worse than he got and was just glad he wasn’t being reassigned.

That alone had had the hardened criminal impressed and wanting to meet this Magnum.

He’d been out to “Robin’s Nest” precisely once before packing up and moving there for the foreseeable future of quarantine, and that had been to drop in to talk to the infamous Thomas Magnum who the kid had written and told him so much about. That had been about a week after getting out of jail when Rick was busy with his bar. He hadn’t been back since, though he’d met Magnum a couple of times for coffee or beers, plying him for whatever information he could share on what he’d missed during Rick’s time overseas.

So, when Robin Fucking Masters himself had called him to back him up, he’d agreed to quarantine out at this fancy estate without too much convincing. He said he already had TC agreeing and mostly Thomas (who he knew would agree once the other two were in). 

For Icepick, he cared less about how vulnerable he was than he cared about how vulnerable Rick was to a disease like this so how could he not agree. Not that getting to relax at a huge estate on the beach was a great hardship after years in a small cell, but giving up his space and quiet to be there with Rick’s friends and the property manager may not be his favourite idea, but for the kid, it was worth it. 

Frank “Icepick” Hofstetler may be a convicted felon and life long criminal, but he was also smart. He didn’t go beyond high school, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t intelligent, and capable of reading and knowing when to believe experts and ignore jackasses, so he knew this pandemic was the real thing, and he knew that after being a POW for a year and a half, still fairly recently, Rick was at risk.

He knew also though that the kid was worried about making ends meet with his bar and was spending long hours there trying to figure it out, he was closed to the public but had managed to convert to a delivery system at least for food and some alcohol to keep some money coming in as well as keep his staff on the books (kid was even more soft than him when it came to stuff like that).

So when one of the richest guys on the island called and said he’d paid the kid’s mortgage for several months, bought out TC’s charters, and was paying Thomas to work on stuff at the estate so they’d all quarantine - and he wanted him to help convince the kid to do it if he couldn’t, he certainly took notice.

Robin Masters had known Rick and his military buddies when they were overseas and, though he wasn’t going to admit it to anyone, Icepick had eagerly read each of the man’s books. Even knowing it was fiction, the fact that one of the main characters was based, even loosely, on his boy meant he coveted every morsel of connection while he was stuck in jail, and the kid was as good as a million miles away from him.

If this author felt he owed Rick and his friends for basing book characters loosely on them, and that feeling was going to help the kid and keep him safe, he was not going to argue. 

Masters and him agreed that with their history as POWs, Rick and the guys were at a higher risk, no matter how well they’d recovered otherwise, or how fit they’d managed to get back to, the damage was done.

Rick hadn’t said anything, but Icepick had promised him anyway that he wouldn’t try anything at the estate or with Masters. “You don’t fuck with Ohana, boy,” he’d said when Rick had shot him an appreciative look. “I’m the one taught you that.”

Magnum usually lived in the guest house which itself was bigger than any place Rosemary Hofstetler’s baby boy had ever called home, but they were all staying in the main house which had a mind boggling 8 guest bedrooms and was so fucking big that even with 5 adults all living under the same roof, so called “social distancing” was no problem. 

Rick and his buddies went out together on the water most days, and separately as well. Rick went out of their little cove to catch some waves for a surf a couple times a week, with the other two either joining him or reading on the beach to keep an eye on him. Thomas went out on his surf ski every morning and the three of them went out a couple times a week on the paddle boards. When they were just out in the cove near the house, he’d even go down himself sometimes and watch them out enjoying themselves on the water while he read and relaxed.

He’d always marvelled at how if you didn’t know what these three men had endured and survived, you wouldn’t guess it from a casual meeting. They all laughed easily and often, were fit and seemingly healthy - they still took more vitamins than most people, but some people just did that without doctor’s orders. If you knew what to look for you might see the cracks here and there, but they were easily missed by a casual observer. He’d wondered how they managed this before but spending this much time seeing the three of them together, he thought he knew now. They fed each other. When any one of them wasn’t at 100% the other two boosted him up.

Living with Rick these past few months he’d rarely seen any of the ill-effects from his time as a POW TV, movies, and literature told you to expect. Aside from the vitamins and medical appointments to ensure he was still recovering well, he was just a guy running a bar who enjoyed spending times with his close friends most of the time. He knew the kid had diagnosed PTSD and assumed the others more than likely did too, but they were mostly living their lives as if they didn’t have a care in the world, or so it seemed.

There had been a few sleepless nights after that sudden trip when Magnum had been called in for a reserve duty - he’d found Rick up prowling the apartment in the middle of the night and had just made some tea and sat with him. He’d wanted to push, but stopped himself and was just there, and the grateful look Rick gave him proved he’d made the right choice.

He knew Rick couldn’t talk about any details of what had happened but he was smart enough to figure out it had something to do with Magnum’s mission and not just because when he next met up with the SEAL, he was sporting bruises and a haunted look all too similar to one he’d seen on Rick’s face in the middle of the night.

He was observant enough as well to know that what was affecting them was about more than what had just happened. The three men met up as often as always but were also even more than usual talking on the phone for a bit and he knew that Rick went for a couple extra appointments in the weeks after.

It seemed to him at least that Rick was now back to his usual self and he’d seen them laughing and drinking as happy as ever since then. But he wasn’t dumb. He knew that going through what Rick and the others went through as POWs left its mark both on the body and soul and PTSD is a sleeping dragon that can be quiet as easily as it can rumble or roar.

While they were staying at this place, Icepick’s room was at the end of the hallway next to Rick’s with the other two guys staying in rooms on the other side of Rick - and Goddamn but this house was fucking huge!

Years of prison life coupled with his age and health meant that Icepick didn’t sleep especially well or deeply so, just as when he’d been living with just Rick at his apartment, here at this house it didn’ t surprise him when he was awoken most nights by abruptly cut off noises of startled awakenings from either Rick’s room or one of the others. 

Nothing as dramatic as screams in the night, but a quickly muffled shout or grunt of alarm was not uncommon. Even a few thuds as someone startled themselves out of bed, falling to the floor. 

He’d listen for a bit when he heard any of these awakenings just as he had at Rick’s apartment. Sometimes - more often than not even, it remained quiet after, with whomever had awoken managing to still back into sleep again.

Other times, he’d hear the telltale sound of someone getting up, quietly opening and closing their door followed by the impossible to avoid slight creak of the stairs as whomever was up made his way downstairs. 

Unlike at Rick’s apartment, Icepick didn’t get up to join, knowing he wasn’t who was needed as immediately after he’d hear the two other doors quietly open and close again and two more sets of steps on the stairs.

Sometimes he’d hear them make their way back up later, sometimes he wouldn’t. Sometimes he’d find them all out on the lanai watching the sunrise when he got up in the morning. He’d nod to them and ask if they wanted some tea or coffee or to join him for breakfast. Sometimes they’d join him, sometimes only Rick would, leaving Thomas and TC to their quiet.

Damn if he loved Rick, but he was glad he was fully seeing now just how close he was with TC and Thomas. 

He put up a brave front, but one of the things that worried him most about how little time he had left was how Rick would fare. He knew the kid loved him and looked up to him, and he’d lost too much already in life.

From things Rick had said, he’d felt hopeful that these two friends he’d made in battle and grown closer to in suffering would be there for him after he was gone.

The more he saw them together here in close quarters, the more sure he was. These two would support his boy. They’d keep him from going off the rails and they’d take care of him when he needed it.

And for that he loved them too.


	3. Juliet gets the wrong idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for this one. Pure foolishness but don't we need that from time to time?

It seemed to come to a head when she accidentally dropped a plate while they were all in the kitchen. The plate didn’t even break, but the noise alone caused an alarming reaction in all three of the guys.

Rick spun around so fast, his sandwich flew off his plate which he gripped now like a weapon, his position slightly crouched, ready to fight. 

TC sucked in a breath, stilling except for one raised arm as a block.

And Thomas, every muscle was tensed as he moved in the blink of an eye between they guys and the sound.

“Sorry, sorry,” she said, not moving until she saw them forcibly relax themselves, Rick’s face flushing as he silently scooped his sandwich up off the floor and threw it in the garbage.

“For what?” Thomas said in a forced attempt at levity. “You didn’t even break it!” He busied himself with helping her clean up her spilled lunch, keeping himself between her and the guys as TC helped Rick make a new sandwich. “Here, let me get you a new plate,” he said, drawing her with him to the opposite counter.

They all tried really hard to ignore what had happened and pretend everything was fine, but Juliet had seen the tension growing in the guys for a couple of days and wondered if the forced quarantine was getting to them. 

For herself, she was going a little stir-crazy and she was usually much more happy than any of them were to keep herself busy just on the estate. So, she could only imagine how much they were feeling the strain. Rick was used to being the life of the party, surrounded by customers, friends, and staff at his bar, TC was used to the freedom of flying and showing customers the islands from above, and Thomas, when he wasn’t out on the ocean, was with one of the two guys enjoying the crowd at La Mariana, or the sky with TC, or helping clients as a PI.

When Icepick went for a nap after lunch, she excused herself to go to her room for a planned video call with her cousin in England. 

She didn’t know how to help the guys when they couldn’t have what she thought they needed right now - a return to something like normal lives. That just wouldn't be an option for a while yet. The look of relief they tried to conceal as she told them she’d be on her call and would leave them to themselves until supper told her that they needed some time with each other. 

She tried not to take it personally, but as close as they’d become with her, she knew there’d always be that different and closer bond between the three of them. It still was on her mind how to help them but hoped some alone time with just the three of them would be just what was needed for now.

***********

‘Where did they go?’ 

Juliet’s cousin had some computer issues and they had to cancel their planned video chat so she found herself without anything to do. She’d looked for a book to read but was distracted by the unexpected quiet throughout the house. 

When she’d headed to make her call, the other three men had been arguing over what movie to watch, but the living room and theatre room were both empty, the whole house quiet. 

They’d all been out for their morning swims and paddle boarding earlier and looking across the lawn she couldn’t see them on the water or at the beach.

Wandering around she could see none of the cars were gone, and they weren’t on the lanai or tending to Kumu’s garden. “Where the devil did they go?!” she muttered to herself, her gaze wandering over the estate.

The guest house? No, they were all staying at the main house and keeping it clean themselves. Once a week they all left the house and stayed down at the beach as a professional cleaning team came in and did a thorough cleaning as well, but they weren’t keeping up the guest house just for efficiency and to limit the amount of work and places of possible contact.

“So why is part of the lanai screen open?” she asked herself, proud of herself for spotting it but growing annoyed that they’d gone over there when it was supposed to be closed down.

They had everything they needed at the main house and more so she couldn’t imagine why they would have gone down there. Her curiosity spiked, she quietly made her way there, out of view should they look out. Coming along the path at the side of the building she stealthily approached planning to startle them demanding what they were doing down there.

“You’ve both been getting more and more antsy and you know it,” TC’s voice brought her up short. 

“He’s right,” Thomas said. “You know what you need. What we all need.”

“But…” Rick started to protest.

“No but,” TC argued. “We all need it right now, but you, my friend need it the most. You know it’ll help. I sure as hell know it’ll help me.”

“Yeah,” Thomas agreed. “Me too. Let us help you too.”

“I just don’t want Icepick or Juliet to find out about this,” Rick said with a sigh, sounding resigned though.

“Pfft! You think I want Juliet to find out either?!” Thomas exclaimed. “No way!” 

They all shared a slightly nervous chuckle at that leaving Juliet not sure how to feel. What were they doing that they didn’t want her to find out about?

“Come on,” Thomas ordered. “Let’s do this. You know you’ll feel better after. Now, bend over and start stretching…”

Whatever Thomas said next was slightly lost through the ringing in her ears. No. No. No. She froze, she could not be hearing what she that sounded like. No. They… no. 

“You know the drill,” Thomas was saying when she refocussed. “Feet apart a little more... Relax a little, deep breath, and bend down a little more...

“Good, now on your knees…”

She threw her hand over her mouth, but too late, she knew the gasp of shock had been too loud when she heard movement from inside and saw Thomas’ head pop out around the screen to see her looking shocked on the edge of the lanai.

“Fuck…” she heard both Thomas and Rick say.

“Uh.. sorry,” she stumbled, trying to move back. “I didn’t mean to intrude, uh, I, my cousin had to cancel and I was wondering where you all went and I didn’t mean…” she stuttered still backing away.

“No,” Thomas sighed. “You’re here and now you know, so you may as well come in and join us.”

“What?!” she said in a strangled gasp. “No, no, no. You three can… I mean, I don’t judge! I’m as modern as the next person, but not for me… You three…. It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m just going to…” she motioned to the main house still backing up and turning to go.

“No wait, Higgins!” Thomas said quickly. 

Turning to face him again reluctantly she could see the look of confusion on his face for a moment before realization hit him. Whatever reaction she expected of him, bursting out laughing was definitely not part of it.

“You thought…?” he laughed. “Guys, come out.”

Her look of horror just made him laugh more as Rick and TC joined him on the lanai looking a mix of sheepish and confused. 

“She overheard,” Thomas explained, still chuckling. “And thought… we were…” he was struggling between laughing and she was sure now she’d misunderstood and could feel her face turning crimson.

“She doesn’t judge and is very modern but didn’t want to join!”

“Alright,” she groused. “You can stop laughing. What were you doing in there?”

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, wiping his eyes as the other two snickered. “Yoga, Higgins. We were doing Yoga.”

“What?” Now she was confused again. Yoga? They didn’t do yoga. They ran and swam and surfed and paddle boarded and surf skied and even occasionally sparred with each other for exercise. They didn’t do yoga. Her confusion was evident on her face of course and Rick folded his arms uncomfortably while TC smirked and Thomas’s laughter turned to a slight frown.

“I told you how they taught yoga in Germany to deal with stress and stuff,” he said.

“You said a guy you knew…” she replied, thinking back to the Amanda Sako case when he’d asked her to teach Amanda yoga to help her be able to recall what had happened to her.

“Well, yeah. It helped Keith, but also…”

“We all learned it,” TC joined in. “It’s relaxing, but we don’t do it like you do. Just sometimes.”

“Look, don’t tell Icepick ok?” Rick asked. “He’ll laugh his ass off at me about it.”

“Surely he wouldn’t if you tell him it helps you with… things,” she insisted, stumbling over actually saying PTSD. 

“Not if I’m not bugging him with having to think about that right now. He’s got enough to deal with.”

Pleading looks from both TC and Thomas along with subtle shakes of their heads had her closing her mouth and swallowing anything else she had to say about Rick’s relationship with Icepick.

“Well, then,” she said instead, throwing on her shield of imperiousness. “Shall we?” she indicated, brushing past them to head inside the guest house. “Let’s see how much we can balance you gentlemen.”


	4. Boooorreedd!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Rick is bored!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This plays totally by TV rules.

Everyone looked up from their books when Rick walked out onto the lanai, a plate with a sandwich in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. He put both on the table and then slumped himself down onto the empty lounger next to Thomas with an exaggerated sigh.

Thomas and TC made eye contact, smirking as Juliet and Icepick turned back to their books.

“How many lunches does that make?” Icepick asked, eyes on his book. “Keep this up you’ll sink your board next time you try to surf.”

“Ugh,” Rick groaned at the others’ snickers. “I’m BORED! And don’t tell me to just read a book, I’ve already read pretty much every book here. And don’t tell me to just download another ebook from the library either because my eyes can’t take another second staring at a screen.

“I already went for a swim,” he said, ticking off a list with his fingers. “I got no more laundry to do, and I’ve already called the bar and they’ve got everything under control. I’M BORED!” he whined, leaning over, practically accusing Thomas of being the source of his boredom. And why not? Whenever he’d gotten antsy or bored between missions, Thomas had been the one who came up with something for him to do - some training or time on a range blowing away targets. Something!

“What do you want me to do?” Thomas replied with a smile. “I’m not holding out on any more books and I can’t make the courier get here any faster.”

“I know!” TC said suddenly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You wanted him to show you that move Quinn told you about.”

“What?” Thomas asked.

“No, no, no..” Rick said at the same time, leaning back and shaking his head, hands up in surrender.

“What move?” Thomas asked again, looking back and forth between his two friends and noticing that they’d gotten the attention of both Juliet and Icepick now as well.

“The one with the gun runners. Apparently Quinn was VERY impressed and asked Rick if he could do it too. Something about disarming a guy with a gun to your head?” TC was smirking, “He wanted to learn it to impress her.

“To be honest,” he added, tilting his head in consideration. “I’d like to see it too after that thing in the parking garage with Peele ‘cause even though Katsumoto got there with perfect timing I know that’s what you were squaring up to do.”

“It was quite fast,” Juliet chimed in, all eyes now on Magnum.

“Uh… you mean the move you said was reckless?” he said, shifting in his seat, glad for the momentary reprieve when the guys turned shocked looks onto Juliet for a moment.

“But effective,” she defended.

“I did want want to learn it,” Rick admitted, “I mean, my method of a good head butt is pretty effective too, but she did say it was petty cool.” He looked at Thomas sideways, leaning back again on the lounger. “But no, not right now…”

“Too many sammiches?” TC joked.

“No!” Rick said quickly, ignoring Icepick and TC’s snickers. “No. But last time I trained with him when he was in a bad mood was after that incident when we were stopped over at Bagram and I was sore for days! No, no, no…” he said, holding up his hands again. “I’m not that bored”

Thomas looked uncomfortable for a moment but TC roared with laughter at that. “You just couldn’t keep up with him!!”

“I wasn’t in a bad mood,” Thomas defended quietly. “And who says I’m in a bad mood now?”

“You were pissed at him - and Nuzo,” TC said, still chuckling. “Everyone was always more nervous doing training with you when one of those two especially had pissed you off - and serves you right!” he said, still laughing and pointing at Rick. “You want to work off all those snacks, this is the perfect time for training”

“I’m not in a bad mood,” Thomas defended again though. “Or pissed at anyone…”

Rick and TC both snorted in disbelief

“I may not know Dari,” Juliet said, raising her eyebrow. “But I know what cross sounds like regardless of language.”

“You were giving Ahmed hell on the phone about half an hour ago TM,” TC agreed.

“I wasn’t…” Thomas tried to defend, sitting up. “Pauly asked me to talk with him. He’s barely 16 and in spite of both of us having told him he has to stay in because he’s extreme risk, and despite not being allowed to work with his current status, he snuck out to do some under the counter delivery work!

“He was arguing about wanting to earn money, to contribute, and trying to say he’d be fine, so…” Thomas cleared his throat, shrugging as he awkwardly smoothed the pages of his book, avoiding everyone’s gaze. “I had to be firm to make sure he understood the risks and would stay put.

“I’m not pissed at him,” he added quietly. “He’s been in a refugee camp for a couple of years before just getting here a few months ago, and New York is getting hammered with so many cases…”

Everyone was quiet for a moment after that, thinking about what was happening in New York, and about Ahmed and Pauly, and of course Nuzo.

“And I never hurt anyone training.” he defended, shaking off the dark thoughts. “I’m careful - and I’m smaller and lighter than both of you and almost everyone I did training for anyway! In fact, I’m the only one who ever got hurt training you lot if I recall!”

“That was one time!” Rick cried, flopping back on the lounger dramatically. “And you said it was ok - that it was your fault even!”

“It was,” Thomas chuckled, smiling at Juliet and Icepick’s confused looks. “I didn’t clearly end the drill before turning to answer someone else’s question and by the time I saw his punch coming, I dislocated my finger trying to block it.”

“And then you swept my legs, landing me on my ass before you started swearing,” Rick recalled. “What was that kid’s name again?” he asked, sitting back up again. “He was shitting himself that he was to blame!” 

“Ken,” Thomas said, the smile dropping again. “Ken Danton. He died about a week after transferring to the 153rd.”

“I forgot about that,” TC reminisced. “He was a good guy. Funny as hell! And one of the few who ever dropped Nuzo in training if I recall,” he added with a smirk.

“Now Nuzo,” Rick groaned. “He left bruises all the time in training! He LOVED making me suffer!” 

“That was just early on,” Thomas said with a fond smile. “When you two were still at each other’s throats all the time. He lightened up pretty quick though.”

“Huh” TC snorted. “Only because you made him. Before TM got on him about it I was sure he was going to break you in two,” he added to Rick, a smirk on his face. He shook his head fondly. “Thank god you two finally got over yourselves and made nice.

“Oh yeah,” he added to Juliet and Icepick’s surprised looks. “When they first met, Rick and Nuzo were always butting heads. TM had to practically send them to opposite corners all the time. About the only times TM and Nuzo weren’t smooth sailing was when Nuz was locking horns with Orville over here and TM had to break them apart.”

“For all the good it did,” Thomas said, a sheepish frown on his face. “I’m pretty sure me making Nuz go easier on you is what lead to that fight you two got into. I should have…” He grimaced for a moment, looking down. “I don’t know. But it just made things worse.”

“Ha!” Rick practically bellowed, leaning forward, a mischievous smile on his face as he pointed at Thomas. “Vindication! You admit it! You never should have been mad at us about it then and you should have just gotten us out when we got busted and fallen to your knees and begged us to forgive you!”

TC’s laughter as he reached out to give Thomas a friendly slap on the arm further brought the smile back to his face and Juliet was relieved to see them smiling through a memory of their missing friend.

“But nooo,” Rick said with an exaggerated put-upon frown. “Instead you got all shouty and mean and grounded us and sent us to our room without supper!” Now he was really playing up the act, even pouting and looking to Juliet and TC jokingly for sympathy.

“You ate before I got there,” Thomas said, rolling his eyes. “And you’re lucky Dupont left you to me. You should have heard what he wanted to do to you two chuckleheads.”

“And it worked,” TC added with a chuckle. “You and Nuzo came out of it friends.”

“Yeah, because the literal worst punishment Thomas could ever give Nuzo was when he went out on that next mission without him being able to keep his eyes on him. He wasn’t risking that happening again!” Rick said with a wistful smile. “So we came to an agreement.”

“And you weren’t risking getting transferred off his team either,” TC said with a knowing gleam in his eyes. “Or letting Mathers be his overwatch again, or…”

“Mathers had the attention span of a dog seeing a squirrel - and about the same intelligence,” Rick replied, not admitting anything. “Are you going to show us that move or what?” he demanded after a moment, standing up, hands on his hips. “Come on - beat me up some, but show me that move. Quinn said it looked cool.” 

Smiling and accepting the change in topic, Thomas closed his book. “I don’t have a training pistol… Oh wait, go grab that replica from the military fiction award in the hallway”

“No!” Juliet ordered, but Rick ignored her, running inside. “That’s attached to the award, you can’t break Mr. Masters’ award to…”

“Robin broke it last year,” TC laughed as Thomas brushed off her concern, standing and starting to stretch his arms and shoulders.

“When you were in England Higgy,” TC explained, setting his book aside as well and standing to stretch. “Robin came home for a few days and we all may have had a bit too much to drink…”

Rick snorted as he rejoined them, the replica gun in his hand. “More like a lot too much to drink!” he laughed and put the gun on the table and joined the guys in stretching.

“And Robin accidentally knocked it down while trying to prove he could spin a surfski paddle like a baton. It’s just sat loosely in place since then,” Thomas continued the story with a chuckle.

“What?” he said to her accusing look. “We told Kylie about it so she didn’t knock it off cleaning it and think it was her fault. Don’t look at me like that - blame Robin! I told him it was a bad idea, but does he listen to me?”

“Not when he’s drunk,” Rick said with a chuckle.

The three of them were all smiles as they continued to enumerate the crazy things Robin had done while drunk as they made their way down onto the grass.

Juliet and Icepick exchanged looks then laid down their books and followed. No way they were missing this.


End file.
